Tesla Unveils Custom Self-Driving Chip, Plans Robo-Taxi Fleet
Tesla reveals a custom-built neural network chip for its vehicles and announces plans to launch a robo-taxi network next year, dismissing LiDAR technology as unnecessary.
Tesla reveals a custom-built neural network chip designed specifically for its self-driving vehicles, a hardware project that starts back in 2016. The computer, located behind the glove box, features built-in redundancy so that a secondary chip takes over if the primary chip fails. CEO Elon Musk boasts that despite having no prior experience in chip design, Tesla creates the best chip in the world.
Musk reiterates that all current Tesla vehicles already possess the necessary hardware for full self-driving capabilities, meaning the company only needs to improve the software. The system relies entirely on cameras and radar, which stands in stark contrast to the approach taken by most other automakers. During the presentation, Musk aggressively dismisses LiDAR technology, calling it a fool's errand, expensive, and fricking stupid.
As part of its autonomous strategy, the automaker announces plans to deploy a fleet of robo-taxis by next year. This ambitious timeline emerges just two days before the company's first-quarter earnings disclosure, where it shares these dense technical details with investors. The overarching goal is for Tesla owners to earn money by putting their self-driving cars to work in this upcoming ride-hailing network.